`Dinner Hour Burglar` Held In 25 Break-ins

April 18, 1991|By ARDY FRIEDBERG, Staff Writer

POMPANO BEACH -- David Daniel Martin, the ``Dinner Hour burglar`` who was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for a string of burglaries at Palm-Aire in 1989, went back to work in the same area after his release, police said.

Martin, 30, who earned his nickname by entering homes and apartments while people are out to dinner, was arrested on Wednesday, a suspect in 25 home burglaries, police said.

``He would go in through kitchen windows,`` Detective Chris Mulligan said. ``He would pry open a screen. The victims in most cases were not home.``

Martin, who lives with his parents in Palm-Aire, was caught because he committed several burglaries in the same area and in the same way as he had done in the past, police said.

``At a couple of burglarly scenes, he was confronted by people who knew him from previous burglaries,`` Mulligan said. ``Later we found he pawned about $10,000 in jewelry and left his thumb print at the pawnshop.``

Martin was charged with two counts of dealing in stolen property, police said.

In August 1989, Martin pleaded guilty to two counts of grand theft and dealing in stolen property in connection with 50 burglaries. His arrest record dates to 1987. Broward Circuit Judge Robert Carney sentenced Martin to the maximum 2 1/2 years and ordered him to pay $500 in restitution. But because of prison crowding, inmates usually serve only one-third of their sentences. Martin served four months.

Martin is a Canadian citizen, police said, and the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service will consider deportation proceedings.

``It`s a little frustrating that he keeps getting out,`` Mulligan said. ``Hopefully this time we`ll be able to put him away for awhile.``